Best Practices

for Professionals

Image credit: Stacey-Ann Searle, member since 2022

Types of Work

Art school will teach you the technical skills you need to succeed as a visual artist and university and graduate level classes will teach you the scientific thinking you'll need to understand to combine art and science into a career in visual science communication. But where do you learn the business skills you'll need? GNSI is here to help. Below, find the different types of work you're likely to encounter as a visual science communicator.

Contract Work

Contract Work (or Freelance Work) is made by an Artist, for a Client. The terms of payment, authorship/copyright, and usage of the Work are negotiated in a contract between the two parties.

Work for Hire

When Work is made "for hire," the Client will pay the Artist for completed Work, but the Client is then considered the legal author of the Work instead of the Artist. 

Staff Work

When Work is made by an Artist as a staff member of an organization, the organization is typically considered the legal author of the Work instead of the Artist. 

Speculative (Spec) Work

When Work is made "on spec," the Artist is betting that the Client will want the Work (and pay for it) when they see it completed. But the Client is under no obligation to accept the Work, nor must they pay a "cancellation fee" if they reject it.

Copyright Resources


COPYRIGHT OFFICES (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union)

US Copyright.  copyright.gov


REGISTRATION.  https://copyright.gov/registration/


RECORDATION (Transfer of copyright, not registration.  https://copyright.gov/recordation/pilot/) 

YouTube Video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7gYYPMTBVY 


Government of Canada Copyright   https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-office/en/copyright


UK Copyright.  https://www.gov.uk/copyright


EU Copyright.  https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/running-business/intellectual-property/copyright/index_en.htm.  Links are provided to get access to national information by country. 


OTHER READING

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization:  Learn from the Past, Create the Future — The Arts and Copyright  (Age 9-14 audience)

https://www.wipo.int/publications/en/details.jsp?id=160


Georgetown College of Law:  Art Law Research Guide.  (For those who like to read specific case law.)

Intro to Art Law. https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/artlaw#:~:text=Those%20involved%20in%20the%20practice,the%20interests%20of%20their%20clients

Various resources.


COPYRIGHT and ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE— Part 1: Digital Replicas, July 31, 2024. https://copyright.gov/ai/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-1-Digital-Replicas-Report.pdf?loclr=blogcop


COPYRIGHT and ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE— Part 2: Copyrightability, January 29, 2025. https://www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-2-Copyrightability-Report.pdf?loclr=blogcop


ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE ARTS

Freelancers Union    https://freelancersunion.org/ 


American Society of Illustrators Partnership https://asip-repro.org/about/ 


American Society of Collective Rights Licensing www.ascrl.org


Artist Rights Society. https://arsny.com/about/ 


2024–2025  ARTS AND AI TOPICS

VIMEO: PVLA:  Artificial Intelligence Considerations for Artists, September 12, 2024


National Law Review: US Copyright  Report on AI Delayed Until 2025   Posted Thursday, December 19, 2024

https://natlawreview.com/article/conclusion-copyright-offices-report-artificial-intelligence-delayed-until-2025


National Law Review: AI Legislation on the Rise: What Should Employers Expect in 2025  Posted Wednesday, December 18, 2024

https://natlawreview.com/article/ai-legislation-rise-what-should-employers-expect-2025


National Law Review: US Copyright Office to Begin Issuing Further AI Guidance in January 2025. Posted on Thursday, January 2, 2025

https://natlawreview.com/article/us-copyright-office-begin-issuing-further-ai-guidance-january-2025


BLOGS: CURRENT ISSUES WITH AI & COPYRIGHT

Hugh Stephens Blog: Insights on International Copyright Issues

https://hughstephensblog.net/2025/01/18/writers-do-you-know-your-drafts-on-ms-word-are-being-scooped-by-microsoft-to-build-its-ai-algorithm-but-you-can-stop-this-from-happening-read-on/


UK: Womble, Bond, Dickinson.  January 14, 2025. Government seeks responses on copyright and AI consultation 

https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/uk/insights/articles-and-briefings/government-seeks-responses-copyright-and-ai-consultation


SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING

COPE: Promoting integrity win scholarly research and its publication

Proper guidance in best practices in scholarly publishing

Cope Journal Audit.   https://publicationethics.org/getting-started


COPE: Free e-Learning Introduction course to Publication Ethics  https://members.publicationethics.org/resources/e-learning


COPE Topics of Discussion.  Accessed January 21, 2025 https://publicationethics.org/topic-discussions

   TOPICS: 

STM: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers. https://stm-assoc.org


STM: IP & Copyright https://stm-assoc.org/what-we-do/core-services/ip-copyright/


STM: 2024 Permission Guidelines (updated 206 June 2024)

https://stm-assoc.org/what-we-do/core-services/ip-copyright/permissions/permissions-guidelines/2024-permission-guidelines-updated-26-june-2024/


BOOK REFERENCES

Copyright for Creatives: A Practical Guide to Copyright Law for Creative People Who Make Stuff Paperback  – December 15, 2024 by Evan M Butterfield MA, JD (Author). Publication Date December 15, 2024. Available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback


Automate Your Busywork: Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Aytekin Tank (Author) Format: Kindle Edition.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc Publishers.  Pub Date May 4, 2023.  Available on Amazon. 


Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration, 2 edition. John C. Wiley & Sons, Inc

https://dev.store.wiley.com/en-us/The+Guild+Handbook+of+Scientific+Illustration%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9780471360117



Contract Resources

coming soon